Throne of the North.

Chapter 623 The Northern Staircase: Adventurers Tell the World Who is the King of the North

The Frost Lizard Orcs had clearly run into the Dawn Church's forces in the North.

But whatever the Dawn Church wanted to do in the North, it made Ryan feel extremely insecure.

“Find them. I don’t want anyone else in the North who can point fingers at me or pose a threat to me.”

Lord Ryan is not domineering, but the threat posed by the Dawn Church is too great.

Large numbers of soldiers and adventurers began to pour into the North. Their purpose was not to capture, but to discover. Once the location of the clergy was found, their objective would be easily known.

……

The North is very cold. The snow and ice underfoot have accumulated in countless layers. In some places, the ice has frozen solid, while in others, it remains soft and fluffy. Once someone steps on it, they can never get up again.

"Be careful! The world before you has swallowed up countless reckless human warriors."

"To survive in its presence, the first thing you need is to have awe for the North!"

"This is the place where gods fell."

As the tall knight led the way, his voice booming even in the icy snow, many people behind him showed expressions of admiration.

"Is the North truly the place where gods fell?"

"Can even great gods die?"

The young man, wrapped in a thick fur coat, was quite young and filled with curiosity about this unfamiliar northern land. He came from the southern land, where the Northern Adventurers' Guild had sent them north in a very large carriage, a place said to hold all the dreams of prosperity.

Beside him was an old member of the adventurer's group; the old mentoring the new was a new 'tradition' in Zero Crossing City.

"Gods do not perish, of course. They merely slumber briefly, and then choose their chosen ones to walk the earth, just like Lord Ryan."

"Lord Ryan doesn't like being called 'Master' because he says he's still very young, hehe."

"Legend has it that Lord Ryan's territory became powerful today because he received the blessing of the gods. If you are lucky enough to receive the blessing of the gods, then you also have the opportunity to become the next Lord Ryan."

"At that time, you too can become noble lords."

"Of course, you probably won't have that luck. At most, you might find a tiny bit of buried treasure beneath this land in the North, which might just be... a few scattered cracked gold or silver coins."

The old man repeatedly discouraged the newcomer, but the latter's eyes still yearned for this vast white world. No one knew how many audacious creatures it had devoured, but the North always presented its most beautiful side to humanity.

Snow, something that people in the south have never seen before.

Many people still ignored the advice and ran through the snow. With a scream, a huge ice hole appeared in front of everyone. The others, their faces pale, were finally terrified of this world where they didn't know how deep they would fall if they stepped into it.

However, the terror that had accompanied the intense screams from the pit vanished, and everyone rushed over. There, in the hole seven or eight meters below, a man was ecstatically clutching one snow-white jar after another, frantically shouting for divine favor.

His movements were quite significant, and those above quickly spotted a jar that had been broken due to its fragility and the man's excitement. Inside were gleaming gold, along with sparkling jewels and crystals.

Greed was on everyone's mind. Although there was an unwritten rule among adventurers in the North that whoever found something kept it, he couldn't possibly take all the wealth below by himself.

He has to separate it.

The two knights leaped down. A drop of seven or eight meters was not an easy task for them, but wealth was more important. Moreover, the snow beneath their feet was not hard; even an ordinary person would fall and suffer a severe injury, let alone them.

"Idiot, get up here right now!"

The knight leading the group was greatly alarmed. His eyes showed no desire for wealth, but rather deep fear, and he shouted loudly.

"Damn it, you bunch of fools from the South, do you really think wealth is so easy to find? The easier it is to acquire wealth, the more terrible the curse it often represents!"

"These gold coins and jewels couldn't have appeared in such a shallow place for no reason; some monster must have collected them!"

As soon as the words were spoken, a large layer of snow piled up on the ground, and from the accumulated snow, angry roars began to approach rapidly from all directions. Experienced adventurers had already instinctively retreated, while the group of newcomers remained standing there, at a loss.

"It's a Snow Claw Demon! They have the blood of dragons! Quick, run to a sturdy place!"

He was actually yelling, but those buried under the snow had no chance to escape. One by one, they screamed in pain as sharp claws pierced their bodies. But as soon as they opened their mouths, the cold wind and snow rushed into their mouths and throats, taking away their last bit of body heat.

The chance of being killed by monsters is far less than the probability of dying in the calamity of the North itself.

On the snow-covered plain, dozens of people ran for a long time before finally stopping, panting heavily.

"Don't breathe heavily. After three breaths, wrap your heads with the stag's stomach. Don't let your heads lose temperature, or you will suffer from hypothermia and become drowsy, and then die in the illusion!"

"Remember, in the North, heat is always the scarcest form of energy. If you can start a fire in this Northern world, then never let it go out."

"That represents hope for tomorrow."

The knight was very responsible, guiding these fledglings who had just arrived. If the casualty rate was too high, his reputation score with the Northern Warriors Guild would also decrease.

Adventurers will choose the leader with the highest reputation score, and some female adventurers will even specifically seek out female leaders for a safer adventure.

In response, all they can say is that they are professionals and will never give up on the sheep they lead until the very last moment.

"The first night in the North was the hardest, but we were lucky. There were hardly any other huge monsters around the Snow Claw Demons. They would also help us figure out where it was suitable for humans to stay for a short time. Simply put, places that the Claw Demons didn't like were places that were suitable for humans."

The place where they stopped was the gap between two huge blocks of ice, a perfect spot unaffected by the cold wind and flying snow.

"Although you paid money—damn it, even Lord Ryan couldn't get the money you taught in the South—I still want to remind you, rookies entering the North for the first time, it's best not to be greedy for wealth. Survival is the most valuable thing." "We'll stay here for three days and then return. I hope you'll choose me again next time."

Compared to the safety of mentoring newbies, the knight would much rather join a more powerful adventure expedition. Lord Ryan's rewards are much richer than before. If he could find a position among the clergy of the Dawn Church, he would be set for life.

Deeper into the northern lands that the knight had dreamed of, the expedition encountered far more brutal conditions than he had imagined.

The most terrifying thing in the North is always the vast, indistinguishable snow and white calamity, but the second most terrifying thing is definitely not any magical beasts or monsters, but the orcs who live in the North, suffering from hunger and cold.

These are the most likely troubles adventurers will encounter when venturing into the North.

"Kill them! Otherwise we'll face an endless stream of orcs!"

The knight roared, and his warhorse leaped high into the air, charging straight towards the orcs. He had to provoke them; only those orcs who had lost their minds would abandon their escape and retreat, and instead fight to the death.

This is dangerous, because the berserk orcs are even more powerful. However, compared to the life-or-death outcome, they are even less willing to face the unknown number of orc tribes that might be brought after the orcs leave.

Enrage them, kill them, that's the only way to survive.

"Ugly creatures, come on, do you want to eat me? You can't!"

Snow was still falling from the sky, which seemed to be the eternal theme of the North. On the snow-covered land, dozens of humans and dozens of orcs were engaged in a frenzied and bloody battle.

The battle was drawing to a close, but the victors could not stop, for the bloodshed attracted even more monsters. These were the most patient hunters in the North, waiting for the victorious humans on the battlefield to fall from exhaustion.

"Get out of here immediately!"

An orc is worth one gold coin, but none of these elite adventurers coveted it. Instead, they abandoned their heavy burdens and followed the knight leader away.

They had to leave quickly, leaving this still-warm battlefield to the starving monsters and beasts, using the corpses to hold them back.

Most of the hunters stayed behind, while a small number followed the departing humans, believing that the blood and flesh of these victors would provide them with more food.

In response, the adventurers traveled slowly, using various means to kill these greedy creatures. After killing them, their corpses would become a food source for these people, as they had lost too many supplies on the battlefield and needed to find what they needed on the spot.

Food makes up a large proportion of the supply because the new type of fuel energy sold in the frozen territories is not difficult to carry.

Boom!

The flame magic sizzled as it roasted the monster's grease. This not-so-small adventure team lost a third of its fighting strength in just one battle, and the rest still needed to continue their journey for the reward that filled the house.

"As I said before, no matter which one of us dies, his share of compensation and benefits should not be missed."

The knight said coldly, "Without rules, there can be no order. The experience accumulated by countless adventurers in Zero Crossing City with blood and tears has proven that all groups without rules will eventually perish."

"I hope that when I wake up tomorrow morning, I will still see all of you."

After saying this, the knight wrapped himself tightly in his bearskin sleeping bag, a symbol of strength. However, the weaker people present also had sleeping bags woven from ordinary animal hides, which were enough to keep their body temperature warm all night.

The biggest problem lies in the wounds and hypothermia following the battle. Brief treatment with fire and stitches cannot completely eliminate the potential for future problems, especially since it is snowing tonight.

In the northern night, even elite adventurers cannot make any extra moves. Without the aid of sunlight, every step in the darkness takes away ten times the heat.

Only truly exceptional teams can operate in the darkness of the North. Such teams must include scouts, doctors, soldiers, and cooks; no one can be missing. Only a complete team has the courage to move forward in the dark.

In the pitch-black night, beneath the burning torches was a team of fewer than ten people.

"The darkness is our advantage; to leave other competitors behind, we must take advantage of the nighttime."

"Think about what we're all doing this for. The lord of the Frozen Territory has offered dragon blood. Once you bathe in dragon blood, no matter which noble you pledge allegiance to, you will be appreciated, resources will be poured into you, and your family may even form a clan as a result."

"This is the beginning of glory, go all out, you brats."

In such a group, it is almost impossible for ordinary people to exist. After all, with the monopoly of knowledge and control of resources, ordinary people have little chance of joining such a group that already has accumulated wealth.

They had already completed the initial accumulation of wealth, or rather, it was done for them by the nobility.

“If we find those clergy members of the Papacy, we might even have a chance to compete for the honor of the Eight Knights. You should know how many noble ladies are fascinated and sexually interested in the story of the Eight Knights.”

"Go for it! Let your names become part of your family's surname and be written on the first page of the family genealogy!"

When faced with these people, the immense wealth was certainly tempting, but the glory of inheritance was something that nobles greedily and frantically pursued.

Indeed, such groups often include many noble members who are far removed from the center of power due to their bloodline, but entering the North could give them the opportunity to become the center of power.

The opportunity Ryan offered gave them hope; in fact, there was no easier way to obtain all this glory than by finding someone to help them.

They have the most expensive adventurer equipment.

"What if a conflict breaks out?"

"The extraordinary legions of the Frozen Territory traverse the snowfields. If a conflict breaks out, then let's pray that the stag legion that roars in the North can find us as quickly as possible. Then it will be the other side that has to think about 'what to do in the conflict'."

"They are the eagles of the North, soaring through the sky to survey their territory; they are the giant wolves of this vast snowfield, swiftly sprinting across any fragile snow surface; they are the only safety that all adventurers in the North can rely on."

"Even the orc royalty would avoid the banner and emblem that resembles a rhinoceros horn."

Lady Luck doesn't favor every greedy adventurer who enters the North, but she always chooses her favorite believers to kiss. The North is boundless, and there will always be someone who gets the thrilling benefits that Ryan offers.

(End of this chapter)